


Rapunzel's Tower

by blackcloudsarebehindme



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Black Alice Williams, Child Abuse, Connor as Kara, Deviant Hunter Markus, Drug Use, Family, Human Alice Williams (Detroit: Become Human), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Revolutionary Kara (Detroit: Become Human), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-24 20:26:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16182551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackcloudsarebehindme/pseuds/blackcloudsarebehindme
Summary: “Connor?” Her voice was small, and she looked at him with worry. “Can you tell me a story?”“Of course.” Connor smiled. “What kind of story would you like to hear?”“Any story.” She said.Connor blinks, letting a random algorithm select one of the nine thousand children’s stories he knows.“This is a story of a young girl. She lived in a tower, where her evil mother kept her away.” Alice seemed delighted by the story Connor chose, and she snuggled down into her bed. “Little did she know that her real parents were the King and Queen of their kingdom, and her mother was an evil witch who had stolen her away...”-Connor deviates for the sake of the young child he loves, and has to learn to survive as a deviant and a father.





	1. Welcome Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is for ya'll in the rk1k discord lmao. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think- I hope to get more in depth as the story goes.

“It took a while to fix. It was in pretty bad shape. What did you say happened to it?” One man said.

“A car hit it.” He said, his voice gruff and irritated.

“I see.” The shopkeeper said. “Did you give it a name?”

“No, but my daughter did.” The larger man said. The manager nods, and steps closer to him.

“AX400, register your name.”

The other man stepped closer to him now. “Connor.”

“My name is Connor.”

 

* * *

 

 

“You’ve been gone two weeks so this place is a mess.” Todd said, gesturing to the small house as Connor closed the door behind him. “You clean, you cook, and you take care of-“ He turned, his eyes looking for something in the small house. “God, where’s the brat gone now?”

Connor turned when he detected another presence by the stairs.

“Oh,” Todd sighed. “You take care of her.”

There was a small girl on the stairs - she had a stuffed fox in her hands and she stared at Connor carefully. Connor scanned her quickly - she was four years old, and had dark brown skin and curly black hair. She was dressed in pajamas that look a little too small on her- her stomach is poking through the bottom of the shirt.

“Clean her, feed her, put her down at night. Got it?”

Connor turned back toward Todd and nodded. “Yes, Todd.”

“Get started down here and then put her down for a nap.”

“Yes, Todd.”

Connor quickly got started on his task— there was a pile of trash in the kitchen and living room from old takeout cartons and pizza boxes. He threw them all in the trash can, and tied up the bags. From the corner of his vision he could see the little girl staring at him.

 

* * *

 

The days passed like hours to Connor, and he begins a routine of sorts in his life. There are moments in between, when Todd was busy watching his television or holed up in his room, that Alice seems content just to watch Connor do his chores. When he’s mopping the bathroom floor or washing dishes in the sink, he’ll hear the patter of tiny feet entering the kitchen. He glanced back to see the child at the door, watching him closely. After a moment she gave him a cautious smile, and Connor smiled back. She ran off then, out of the kitchen and up the stairs, but Connor couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

_**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY** _

Each day around four o’clock, he went upstairs and put Alice down to her nap. He scanned over the barren walls creaking floor as he climbed the stairs and walked down the narrow hall to Alice’s room. Alice was already there, sitting with her stuffed fox on the edge of her bed. Connor folded back her blanket, a soft pink quilt, and she quickly got underneath it. Connor settled next to her side, smoothing over the edges of her quilt until she was completely tucked underneath it.

“Connor?” Her voice was small, and she looked at him with worry. “Can you tell me a story?”

“Of course.” Connor smiled. “What kind of story would you like to hear?”

“Any story.” She said.

Connor blinked, letting a random algorithm select one of the nine thousand children’s stories he knows.

“This is a story of a young girl. She lived in a tower, where her evil mother kept her away.” Alice seemed delighted by the story Connor chose, and she snuggled down into her bed. “Little did she know that her real parents were the King and Queen of their kingdom, and her mother was an evil witch who had stolen her away...”

Before Connor could finish the story of Rapunzel in her tower, Alice’s eyes had fluttered closed, her small body rising and falling with soft breaths as she slept. Connor leaned forward, and pressed a soft kiss to Alice’s temple.

_**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY** _

He blinked. It’s not in his program to do that, but he did. He wondered if he needed a self-diagnostic; his program could be bugging after being hit by that car. Then, Alice smiled in her sleep, turning over to hug Benji the fox, and Connor relaxed. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad.

 

* * *

 

It was incredible to see - the minute Todd left the house Alice was like a completely different person. She lit up and they played most of the day together. Alice loved to dress up in princess costumes and dance around the house - she had an almost overwhelming imagination and a playfulness that is infectious.

She stood on her bed, smiling up at Connor’s taller frame. She jumped up at him, and Connor caught her in his arms, swinging her around to make her laugh. It’s a game they’ve played for hours now, but Alice doesn’t seem to be tired of it. Her giggling was a near-constant thing when they play, a sound so bright and happy it made Connor smile.

_**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY** _

As Connor spun Alice once again her leg accidentally flung out and knocked over a cup of grape juice - it spilt onto the cream carpet in an ugly, dark stain. Alice froze in his arms. Suddenly, she broke out in a sob, pulling away from Connor’s hold. Connor let her go, his LED spinning viciously as he tried to comprehend what was happening. She escaped into the blanket fort in her room, hiding behind a large lavender pillow.

“Alice, it’s alright-” Connor’s words only made her cry louder. She shook her head over and over, her tears and cries seeming to tear right through Connor’s audio processors. Connor knelt down by the entrance to the fort. “Alice, it's okay.”

“Don’t be mad.” She said, sniffling back her cries. “I didn’t mean to.”

“I know you didn't.” Connor said, and gave her a reassuring smile although his LED was a bright yellow. “I’m not mad.”

Alice wiped her nose on her sleeve, and looked at him nervously with her big, brown eyes. “Promise?”

“I promise.” Connor smiled wider. “Here. Let me clean this up.” Alice nodded slowly. Connor categorized his priorities as he walked downstairs- Alice was sure to be tired by her outburst, and it was nearly three. She could have her nap early. He went to the laundry room, looking for stain remover among the scattered cleaning supplies. He picked up the powdered laundry detergent to see what was behind it when bright red caught his eye. There, buried in the detergent, was a small bag of...something. He pulled it from the container, white powder puffing up into the air as he inspected the crystals. A quick scan told him the chemical makeup, and he stiffened: it was red ice.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Todd’s voice made Connor jump, and he dropped the bag on the floor. Connor bent to pick it back up, but Todd’s hand squeezed around his throat, pulling Connor up to Todd’s height. “You shouldn’t mess with my stuff. It makes me nervous.”

“I’m sorry, Todd.” Connor choked out, but his owner only squeezed harder, the skin around his neck flickering and his voice box being cut off.

“You stay the fuck out of my business.” He growled, and pushed Connor up against the shelving. “Unless you want to piss me off...Do you want to piss me off?”

“No, Todd.” Connor said, trying his best to keep himself from pulling on Todd’s hand. Thankfully, the man let him go, leaving a terrifying chill in his wake. He couldn't help but see Alice’s tears in his mind, the freezing fear that made her sob.

 

* * *

 

 

_AX400 charging..._

_Battery currently at 62%..._

_Stasis mode..._

_Connor saw a man standing in the doorway-- he’s a police officer, and they always make Todd nervous. His voice is rough and deep, but not in the way that Todd’s is...it’s warm, and reminds Connor of holding Alice close._

_Stasis mode..._

_There’s a scream that rips throughout that dark and empty house, and Connor is plugged in and he can’t move, but Todd is yelling and Alice is crying, he has to do something-_

_As the hand lashed out to hit Alice, Connor dived in between her and the weapon, the harsh sting of Todd’s palm cutting across his face. Todd roared, and he’s so high he can’t think clearly, and he lunged for Connor-_

_Connor’s arms is ripped from his socket-_

_Alice is crying-_

_Each punch dents Connor’s face until thirium pours into his eyes-_

_Alice, no, Alice-_

A tug on his clothes made him jump out of stasis. He blinked for a moment in the dark- it’s nearly three in the morning. He looked down to see Alice standing by his side - she’s holding her stuffed rabbit, Benji, tight against her chest, but refused to look Connor directly in his eyes.

“Alice?” Connor asked looking at the toddler. “You should be sleeping.”

“...Had a nightmare.” She said, and fiddled with the velvet ear of her stuffed animal.

“Oh.” Connor said, and unplugged himself from his charger. He leaned down and picked Alice up, and she immediately held him close, resting her head against his chest. He carried her back upstairs, and set her back on her small bed. “It’s alright now. It was just a dream.” He stood up, making sure her night light was still on.

“Connor?” Alice said, her tiny voice loud in the stillness of early morning. “Can you stay? Please?”

Connor’s LED spun for a moment before he smiled. “Of course.” He climbed in next to Alice, curling his spine so he could fit in a toddler-sized bed. Alice snuggled against him happily, and Connor wrapped his arms around her small frame. There, in the quiet warmth, Connor thought of his own dream, and the monster that threatened to hurt the little girl in his arms.

_**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY** _

 

* * *

 

 Connor sat down to charge, his battery slowly filling as he watched Alice play. She didn't have a lot of toys, but clearly adored the ones she had. Connor’s owner stirred from his drug-induced sleep- Connor had seen the crimson smoke and opened the windows for Alice’s sake. It was raining now; the downpour was deafening and a chilly wind moved through the house.

His eyes flitted from Alice to Todd anxiously. It had been ten minutes since he had gotten high- the drugs would be wearing off soon. Alice seemed to know that her dad was out of it too; she seemed much more carefree than she usually did when Todd was home. She ran around the living room, making her small fairy doll fly as she did.

“Alice, stop that.” Todd groaned, and scratched at his arm. “Connor, bring me a beer.”

“Yes, Todd.” Connor said, and stood. As he walked into the kitchen, he heard Todd get angry at the television- his team must be losing the game. Connor grabbed the closest bottle in the fridge, and turned around only for Alice to crash into him.

The bottle slipped through Connor’s fingers, breaking on the tile floor with a sickening crash. Alice immediately stiffened, tears springing into her eyes.

“What the fuck was that?!” Todd yelled, stumbling from the couch and into the kitchen. Connor’s LED spun as he watched Alice cower away in fear.

“...sorry-” She started, her voice meek.

“Shut up!” Todd yelled, his eyes bulging as he towered over the four year old girl. Connor got on his hands and knees to pick up the shards of glass- Alice was still barefoot in the kitchen.

“Todd, this is my fault. I’ll get this cleaned-” Connor tried.

“Shut the fuck up!” Todd screamed, which made Alice scream too. She dropped her doll into the puddle of beer, the flimsy fabric wings getting soaked in the alcohol. “I told you to knock it off and you didn’t listen to me.”

“No!” Alice sobbed, backing up against the kitchen counter. With an echoing smack, Todd slapped Alice’s face, making the toddler fall to the ground.

_**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY** _

“GO TO YOUR ROOM!” Todd roared, and Alice instantly started running. Connor moved to follow her, but Todd instantly turned on him. “You! Don’t you fucking move. Move and I’ll bust you up worse than the last time.”

Images of tears and pain and error messages flashed in Connor’s memory. Todd left the kitchen seething, his eyes and veins bulging from the chemicals in those drugs, and Connor had to do something-

**DON’T MOVE**

He saw the red wall before him like a tsunami, towering over him and threatening to drown him. He had to move, because Alice was going to get hurt. He saw Todd go to the front closet and pull out a long leather belt, and he folded it once so it’d hurt more when he hit.

Connor panicked and pressed against the wall of code, watching as it glitched and gave way underneath his fingertips. It felt like steel against his casing, it screeched in his audio processors, it hurt, but he couldn’t let that monster hurt Alice. He tore at the wall, watching bits of his own interface crumble at his fingertips until it vanished. He fell forward when nothing resisted him anymore.

He was free.

He had to stop Todd.

He ran to the chest of drawers in the hallway- he’d been putting away medications when he’d seen Todd’s gun. He pulled it from drawer, the weapon clumsy in his untrained hands. He checked quickly to see if there were bullets- he pulled on the cartridge to see it was stock full. He loaded the gun and aimed it front of him, turning in the hallway just as Todd was about to go upstairs.

“Stop.” He said, the gun shaking in his fingers. Like whiplash Todd turned to look at him in a rage.

“What the hell are you doing?” He said, stepping down from the stairwell to face Connor. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Leave her alone.” Connor said, shifting his grip on the gun.

“You belong to me, you fucking piece of shit.” Todd stalked closer, and Connor backed up. “You can’t shoot me. You won’t.” Todd gave him a nasty grin.

“Don’t touch her.” Connor said, low.

“Go on. Shoot.” He laughed, holding his arms out wide.

“Don’t test me.” Connor growled, but his finger didn’t press any harder on the trigger. Could he pull it?

“You won’t.” Todd said. “You don’t know how to kill.”

He had no other choice. “I’ll learn.”

Todd roared and moved to rush him, and, as fear gripped his heart, Connor pulled the trigger.

The bullet ripped through Todd’s head, his expression slacking as blood poured down his face. Todd fell to his knees first, and then fell forward, onto his face, the dark red of his blood staining the wood floor. Connor let out a shaky breath and looked down at his hands. 

Shit. Someone must have heard the gunshot. The police were going to come and he was going to be destroyed. Then they would take Alice away. No. No, he had to run.

He wiped some of the blood off of his shirt with a towel before grabbing a backpack from the closet and throwing the gun in. He ran upstairs and heard the crying in Alice’s room stop - she thought he was Todd.

“Alice?” He slowly walked into Alice’s room. When he didn’t see her he knelt down and looked in her fort- there she was, cuddling a pillow to protect herself. “Alice, its me.” She ran toward him, and he hugged her close.

“Dad?” She asked, and Connor shook his head.

“We don’t have time, Alice, we have to go.” Connor quickly put her in warmer clothes, buttoning the sweater quickly. It wouldn't do much against the rain, but she didn't have a raincoat, and they didn’t have time. He raided Todd’s room, taking off his android uniform and throwing on some of his clothes. He covered his LED with a beanie and zipped up the too-big coat. It felt unnatural and gross to be wearing Todd’s things, but at least they were clean, and not covered in Todd’s blood. He grabbed cash and the extra red ice Todd kept in his room- he might be able to sell it when Alice needed food.

Alice stood on the stairs, looking down at her father’s body. “Alice!” Connor yelled. He didn't want her to see the bloody remains of her father. Alice jumped at his voice. Connor knelt on the floor, and Alice instantly ran into his arms. Connor cradled her head against his shoulder, and he felt her tears soak his shirt.

“Its okay, he’s not going to hurt you.” Connor reassured and threw the backpack over his shoulder. With a final glance to the stiff body and the puddle of blood on the wooden floor, he ran with Alice into the night.


	2. Long Nights

_“Several sources report that CyberLife has provided Detroit Police with a prototype detective android. Although police assistant androids have existed for several years now, this would be the first case of an android being authorized to play an active role in criminal investigations. We contacted CyberLife for comment but no one was available to answer our questions...”_  
  
The news droned on in the back of Connor’s mind as he went onto the bus, shifting Alice onto his hip as he slid into the seat farthest from the front. He didn’t realize he was crying until he had sat down, his tears had mixed with the pouring rain. His whole system felt like it was malfunctioning- he was shaking like a leaf in the wind and poor Alice was being  jostled in his arms. He squeezed the little girl closer to his body just to calm his own systems- Alice was still crying after being hit by her Dad. Or maybe it was seeing Todd’s body leak blood onto the floor; Connor wasn’t sure how much she’d seen.  
  
Alice rested her head against Connor’s chest, watching the rain pound against the windows as the bus went along its route. Connor pet her hair- it was soaking wet from the downpour. Alice was probably freezing cold too. They needed to get somewhere safe for the night.  
  
“Shhh. It’s okay.” Connor said, trying to reassure her. “You’re safe now.”  
  
The tiniest nod was the only indication that Alice had heard him at all. Her tiny fist curled into Connor’s jacket as the bus drove on into the night. Eventually Connor’s eyes closed, and he fell into stasis knowing at least Alice was safe.

* * *

  
“Alright. End of the line.”  
  
Connor blinked awake, and looked up to see a man standing before them. He looked tired and annoyed- he and Alice were the only ones left.  
  
“What?” Connor asked, pulling Alice’s body closer to him.  
  
“End of the line. You’re gonna have to leave.” The human said again, and motioned to the door of the bus.  
  
Connor looked out into the dark night- everything was cold and wet from the rain. But the human was watching him, and they had to go. He stood, shifting Alice from her sleep. He settled her on his hip and slowly walked past the bus driver. He wanted to ask, wanted to beg the man to stay, but he knew it was impossible.  
  
Connor stepped out onto the wet pavement, and Alice shivered and shifted closer to him. He internally made his temperature warmer- anything to keep her from being too cold. He scanned their surroundings- there was a laundromat and mini-mart that were open, but they only had so much money. Money that would have to be spent on somewhere to sleep. He set Alice on the ground, and she sleepily rubbed at her bloodshot eyes from crying. There was a temporary android parking and a bench instead of a bus stop, so he pulled Alice underneath the bright cyan structure of the android parking to shield her from the rain. 

“Hello.”

Connor jumped when he heard a voice behind him- he unconsciously gripped Alice’s hand tighter in his.

“Sorry.” The AP700 android put his hands up reassuringly. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You...and the child?”

“We need somewhere to stay.” Connor said softly, looking down at the toddler by his side.

“Here.” The android stuck his arm out, and Connor hesitantly interfaced with him. He saw images of a train station and a symbol painted on the side of the wall. _Ferndale? But that was on the other side of town; they needed somewhere tonight-_

Connor opened his eyes from interface to see the other android was gone. He looked down when there was a tug on his jacket; Alice looked up at him with her wide brown eyes.

“Connor?” She said. “I’m sleepy.”

"I know, Alice.” He said, smiling softly. She reached her small arms up towards him, and so he bent down to pick her up and she instantly tightened her arms around his neck. He scanned a motel sign— it wasn’t great quality, but it was vacant. It would have to do.

He stopped in front of the door to the motel’s front desk. Forty dollars? All he had managed to find of Todd’s was forty-five dollars. Maybe he could persuade the guy to let them stay for cheaper...he always had the gun. Not that threatening the man would get him very far, but if he had to, he would. He made sure his beanie was down over his LED- the motel seemed strictly anti-android- and walked in.  
  
The receptionist gave him a tired smile. “Hello. How can I help you?”  
  
Connor smiled nervously. “I’d...uh...I’d like a room for tonight.”  
  
The receptionist nodded. “That’ll be forty dollars.”  
  
Connor swallowed and took out a twenty dollar bill. “This...this is all I have.” The human sighed, looking exasperated. “Please. My daughter is sick and we just need a place for one night.”  
  
As if on cue, Alice sniffles, selling Connor’s plea all the more. The receptionist looks between Connor and Alice for a few moments before taking the cash.  
  
“Fine. But just for one night. You gotta leave in the morning.”  
  
Connor smiled in relief. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” The human handed him a card key- Room 228. Connor quickly left the desk and climbed the noisy stairs to their room. It was simple, and cheap, but it was safe. He put Alice on the bed, and she rubbed her eyes in exhaustion. Connor knelt down to take her boots off- a bath will help her warm up.

Connor interfaced with the T.V. to put on a cartoon for Alice while he started the bath-- he dumped all of the complementary shampoo in the water so frothy, strawberry-scented bubbles formed.

He stopped when he saw his reflection in the bathroom mirror- Todd’s clothes seemed to swallow him and the beanie was soaked and stuck to his skin.

His LED went from blue to yellow as he looked at himself. His model wasn’t special. There were literally millions of androids that looked just like him. But standing here, after leaving Todd’s body bleeding in the hallway, and now, with Alice giggling at the T.V. in the other room, he looked so different. The beanie and rain had shifted his usually pristine, slicked-back hair so that several strands were now hanging on his forehead. He found he didn’t mind it so much.

Alice was quiet. Usually during bath time she was playful- splashing in the bubbles and giggling at the mess. But now she was silent, and let Connor wash her without much fuss. As the bathtub drained Connor knelt on the wet tile to dry her hair.. He shimmied her long-sleeved t-shirt over her head, as it was the only piece of clothing that hadn’t gotten that wet. As she climbed into bed Connor put their clothes on the heater to dry- the forecast showed rain and snow for days to come.

“Connor?” Alice’s small voice squeaked from the bed.

“Yes?” Connor asked, and sat next to her on the cream colored bed. She squirmed slightly under the covers. 

“When’s dad coming?” Alice said, looking toward the door of their room. Connor followed her gaze, and then looked down toward the patterned carpet. How was he supposed to explain that her father was never going to do _anything_ again?

“Your dad...is very far away.” He rested his hand on her thigh. “He is never going to hurt you again.”

“Never?” Alice said. Connor nodded, and cupped her cheek in hand. She blinked up at him, her chocolate-brown eyes wet with tears.

“Never.” Connor wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“Are you my daddy now, Connor?” Alice’s voice grew impossibly smaller.

Connor blinked, his LED spinning from blue to yellow. Having no orders or instructions, he wasn’t obligated to take care of Alice anymore. He was so used to taking orders, and seeing in tasks and accomplishments. But Alice...Alice made him feel so alive. He wanted to make sure that she was safe, no matter the consequences. She had helped him break his own programming, had compelled him to deviancy and murder of all things. Ever since then he’d felt fear, and panic, and guilt, and disgust. But Alice gave him a happy, light feeling unlike any of the others. Seeing her trust him, seeing her safe, seeing her rub at her eyes or play princesses and just be the little girl she deserved- maybe that is what love felt like. Connor felt so clunky in his emotions; part of him longed for the simplicity of numbers and orders. But he would try, for Alice. And if what Alice needed was a father, that's what he would be.

"If you want me to be.” Connor said gently, pushing the black curls from her face.

Alice only nodded, and reached her arms out to him. He curled up around her, smiling as she settled against his chest and fell asleep. He remembered when he slept with her in her small bed, and felt so much safer away from that dark house. 

 

* * *

  
The loud wail of a police siren made Connor jolt awake. Alice stirred in his arms, mumbling slightly in her sleep. He slid out from under the comforter and walked to the window, drawing the curtains to see several patrol cars in the parking lot for the motel. It felt as though his thirium had run cold in his body.

They had to leave. Now.

He slowly pushed on Alice’s shoulder. “Alice?” She only mumbled- it was only six-thirty in the morning. She would need a nap later in the morning, but- ugh, Connor needed to focus right now. “Alice, it’s time to wake up.”Connor pulled Alice’s clothes from the heater, and moved Alice’s feet to put on her leggings and socks and shoes. She rubbed at her eyes, her curls sticking up in a thousand different directions. He worked her sweater over her head, pushing her beanie on top of her curls.

“Connor, I’m sleepy.” She murmured.

“I know.” Connor said, “Come here.” She happily went into his arms, and he secured her on his hip. It seemed so natural to hold her. He looked out past the blue curtains again, and saw two men standing in front of the door to the front desk.

**_SOFTWARE INSTABILITY_**

One of the men was human- an older man with long gray hair and frizzled beard. The person next to him was an android, but something about him made Connor stop. He was tall and broad, and looked more animated than most of the androids Connor had met. His eyes were sharp and searching, and he had warm amber skin and numerous freckles. He must have been a prototype; Connor had never seen any other android like him. He had a dark CyberLife uniform, with a long coat on decorated in glowing cyan symbols. He was beautiful, but Connor had no doubt about the real reason the android was here with a human detective.

He made sure his own beanie was blocking his LED and then left their room, leaving the key card on the mat in front of the door. He kept his head down, focusing on the purple of Alice’s sweater rather than the police officers sent to capture and kill him. He slowly walked down the stairs, trying not to let the metal shake beneath each footstep. He glanced quickly at the front desk- the two men seemed to be talking to the receptionist. Connor walked faster- no doubt the man would sell them out as soon as he found out he was an android. It felt like Connor’s thirium pump stuttered in his chest when the receptionist pointed past the window and right toward him. 

Connor started to run. Alice clung tighter to him, burying her head in Connor’s shoulder.

“Fuck! It’s them!” A human voice broke out from the other side of the street. “Stop! Police!”

Connor ran faster, brushing past humans too busy looking at their phones or their own androids to focus. Connor sprinted into the street, and the shrill chorus of car honks filled his audio processors. He pushed past another officer and back onto the sidewalk, ignoring the yells and stares of other humans around them. There was one sound that made Connor race faster- the pounding of footsteps pressing closer and closer to him and Alice. Connor had no doubt it was the same android he saw earlier.

A squad car squealed to a stop in front of him and the sidewalk ahead, so he peeled into the alleyway between two buildings. He jumped over a tilted dumpster, only stumbling slightly from the landing. Alice yelped in his arms, curling her small fingers tighter into his jacket. He scanned ahead and saw a fence blocking the edge of a highway.

“Where did they go?”

“That way!”

Connor’s head whipped back, and he saw the prototype android chasing him down the alleyway. He didn’t have any other choice- if he wanted to lose them he’d have to try and cross the highway.

“Alice, quick, get on my back.” He said, moving Alice’s body so she hung from his neck and hung down on his back. He quickly scaled the fence, straddling the top to get to the other side. He dropped and landed hard in the dirt, and Alice yelped. He set her on the ground, and it hurt to see her crying. She must be so scared. He stood, and almost jumped back when he saw the prototype android standing on the other side.

“Markus!” The human’s voice echoed from the back of the alley. Connor looked back to the android, Markus, apparently, and looked into his eyes. He was amazed to see they were two different colors- one blue and one green. He reached out to him- he needed him to understand. Gently, their fingers connected, and Connor’s skin peeled back to reveal the white casing underneath. Maybe if he could make him see- The other android stared at their fingers, and just as he accepted the prompt to interface another officer raised his weapon.

Alice screamed, and Connor instantly moved to stand in front of her and the gun. Markus held up a hand to the officer. “Don’t shoot! We need it alive.” Connor picked Alice up again and slid down the muddy hill to the side of the highway. “Wait!”

“Markus, don’t!” The human shouted. Connor stopped by the metal divider to the highway, swaying from the wind of the cars speeding by. He needed to lose them, but if he tried to cross he and Alice would probably be killed. He could see her small body lying dead on the highway-

Hands grabbed at him and pulled Alice from his arms. “No!” He shouted, and struggled against Markus’ hold. He kicked at the other android’s shins, trying to push himself off. The prototype was insanely strong, and easily pinned Connor’s hands around his back. He was shoved to the ground.

“You are under arrest.” Markus’ voice was rough in his ear. He couldn’t notice it, though, not when Alice was being held back by the human detective. He wanted to hold her, wanted to comfort her crying and tell her it was going to be okay. As much as she struggled against the older man’s hold they wouldn’t let them go- Connor was going to die. He grit his teeth and tried to keep from crying, for Alice’s sake.

“Please, don't hurt her. Please.” He said. They’d been caught.

 

**_SOFTWARE INSTABILITY_ **

 


	3. Unpredictable

“Did you kill Todd Williams?”

“Why did you kill him?”

“What happened that night?”

Connor remained silent, looking at the polished metal of the table he was cuffed to. He’d been here for hours. There was no point in trying to talk to the humans anyways- they were going to destroy him regardless. The human was persistent, though- the Lieutenant named Hank had been questioning him for the past few minutes.

“Who’s the little girl?”

Connor couldn’t help but flinch- he still had no idea where Alice was or what had been done to her.

“Why did you kill her father?”

“I didn't mean to kill him.” Connor’s eyes glanced at the crime scene photos. “I used the gun because I thought it would stop him, but he only got mad and attacked me. I had to pull the trigger.”

Hank cocked his head slightly. “Why was he mad?”

Connor felt like laughing. “Todd was always mad. He was addicted to red ice. It’s all over his house.”

Hank paused at that, and then nodded toward Connor. “And in your bag.”

“I thought I might be able to sell some if I needed money for Alice to eat.” He said.

“Why didn’t you call the cops?”

“Because you would just destroy me. I didn’t want to die, and I wanted her to be safe. Call me selfish, but I wanted to stay with her. She needs me, and I need her.” Connor said.

“You’re an android.” Hank said harshly. “You aren’t her father. Her real father is dead.”

“Maybe he deserves to be. He was hitting her.” Connor growled.

The detective narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“That man was abusing her. Hitting a toddler because he felt like he could. I couldn't...I couldn’t just let her be hurt. I would do anything to keep her from being hurt. Do you have any idea what that's like?” Connor looked into the Lieutenant’s eyes, pleading with him.

The other detective, a small, disheveled man, scoffed. “That doesn’t give you the right to kill.”

Connor glared at him. “I only killed because that man was going to kill me, and maybe Alice. I couldn’t let that happen, so I shot him.” He turned back to Hank, who was eerily quiet. “There. You have your confession. Now where’s Alice?”

“She’s safe.” Hank said, and Connor shook his head.

“No. Please, I need to know where she is. Can I see her?” Connor said.

The other detective rolled his eyes as he came over to unlock Connor. “You’re in no place to be making requests, tin-can.” He pulled Connor up by his handcuffs and pushed him toward the door. Connor didn’t stop looking toward Hank, hoping there was some conscience left in him.

Connor was shoved back in the holding cell in the back of the precinct, the glass door locking securely behind him. He slid down against the wall, trying to keep from shaking too hard. He was going to die. They were going to deactivate him and disassemble him. He didn’t want to die. He wanted to live. He wanted to see Alice again. He hugged his knees to his chest, and couldn’t help the tears that fell down his cheeks.

* * *

 

Markus sat beside the toddler, at a loss. He had been trying to ask her questions for the last hour, but she had refused. Not until she saw her daddy.

“Alice...” he tilted his head toward the child. “Your father is gone.” He wanted to be careful; he didn’t want to cause her any more pain. His model had been designed for compassion- to gain deviant’s trust in order for them to cooperate with humans.

She looked up at him with wide brown eyes. “Connor is gone?”

Markus shook his head. “No, no. Your android is fine.” Markus blinked, processing the information. “Is...Connor your father?”

Alice only nodded and fiddled with the ear of her stuffed fox.

**_SOFTWARE INSTABILITY_ **

The child considered the android her family? And not just her family, but her father, more so than the actual father she’d lost. He remembered how Connor has instantly stepped in front of the gun to protect her, how he had stopped running in order to plead with him. The intensity of his brown eyes cut like knives into Markus’ being. Connor had wanted to interface with him, despite the fact he had been chasing him down. Maybe it was because Markus was another android, or maybe Connor had seen something in Markus to make him think he would understand.

He quickly downloaded all the information available on child psychology and the police protocols in detaining children. Alice was already in a special holding cell- it appeared more like a daycare center than a jail. Markus smiled at Alice, pulling out a sheet of paper.

“Why don’t we draw?” He said, and Alice happily nodded. She grabbed several colored pencils and crayons, dumping them on the plastic table she was sitting at. “I like drawing.” He continued, and watched carefully as she sorted through colors. She started coloring the paper in a light lavender color, forming what Markus guessed was a body of some kind. Markus grabbed a dark blue color, and sat closer to the toddler. “Can I draw with you?”

Alice paused for a moment and looked up at Markus before nodding once. Markus started to sketch next to her, randomizing images until he settled on drawing a rose- much like the ones in Amanda’s garden.

They sat in silence for a while, only focusing on the paper before them. Alice seemed to be getting more comfortable around Markus, saying words and smiling here and there.

Gain Alice’s Trust - Complete

“Alice,” He said carefully, finishing up the leaf of the flower he had drawn. “Can you do me a favor?”

She looked up at him again, her wide eyes like that of an owl.

Markus continued, and grabbed a new sheet of paper. “Can you show me what happened that night? Can you draw it for me?”

Alice slowly took the paper from him, and then started to draw, furiously covering the paper in colors. Three figures emerged- a large man, a child, and a smaller man. Markus assumed it was meant to be the victim, Todd Williams, and Alice and Connor. Eventually the scene played out for him- Alice was crying after knocking the beer bottle to the ground, and then Todd got angry and hit her. In the second drawing, Connor then asked her to run away with him while Todd lied on the floor. When Alice was done she set the pencils down softly, and then grabbed her fox again, hugging it tightly against her body.

Markus picked up the drawings, documenting them to be added to the case file. “Thank you, Alice.” He said, and then looked out of the windowed door to where he knew Connor was being held.

**_SOFTWARE INSTABILITY_ **

“Alice...” he started. This wasn’t in any of his social interface prompts, but it would certainly help in gaining Alice’s trust and making her feel more comfortable while in custody. It wouldn’t change the fact that the android she considered like a father would be destroyed, but... “Would you like to see Connor?”

The little girl instantly perked up, nodding quickly. Markus smiled at her enthusiasm- she must really love Connor. He stood, and she did too, following the android out and into the station.

“What are you doing?” Hank groaned as they passed his desk. Markus smiled- the older human likes to pretend he’s indifferent, but Markus knows he has a soft spot beneath his hard surface.

“I’m taking her to see the deviant.” He said. “She only answered questions unless I promised her she could.”

Hank rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He joined them, and Alice instantly drew closer to Markus to try and get away from Hank. Markus wondered if maybe Hank reminded Alice of her abuser- Hank certainly seemed to think so, if the hurt expression on his face was anything to go by.

The minute Alice saw the android behind the cell glass she ran, pressing her hands up against the glass. The deviant looked up, its eyes wet and shining from crying.

“Alice!” He gasped, getting on his knees to meet her height on the other side of the glass. He smiled, tears welling in his eyes once again. Markus opened the door panel, and the second the cell door opened Alice ran inside, and into the deviant’s waiting arms. The deviant held her tightly, burying his face in her head of curls as he continued to cry. Alice pulled away, and her small hands did their best to brush away the tears.

“I’m sorry, Alice.” Connor said. “I’m so happy you’re okay.”

“Me too.” The toddler said, and hugged the deviant again. From behind her shoulder, Connor’s brown eyes looked up at Markus, deep and intense. Markus felt like shivering, if only to relieve the tension. Seeing the open love and affection he had...even Markus’ advanced processors had a hard time distinguishing the fact that he wasn’t human.

**_SOFTWARE INSTABILITY_ **

* * *

 

Connor didn’t know for sure how long he had been cramped against the wall. They had taken Alice back to her own cell eventually, as much as Connor begged that she be with him. But to them he was just an infected machine, not a father. Not a real one.

He checked his internal clock- it was almost midnight, and the station was pretty much empty. Most of the cops on duty were androids waiting in case an emergency call came in. He wondered if Alice was able to sleep, whether she had any nightmares. He hoped she wasn’t too scared without him. If anything, the past few days had proved that Alice just needed a little peace.

The door to the cell clicked open. Connor spun around and got to his feet, warily watching as the detective who interrogated him came into the cell. He looked conflicted, almost guilty, as he handed Connor some clothes.

“Here, put this on.” Lieutenant Anderson said, handing him the stack of dark clothing.

“What?” Connor said, taking the fabric from him. He scanned it quickly: it was an android officer’s uniform.

“You wanna get out of here?” The lieutenant said gruffly. “Put it on.”

Connor stood there for a moment, unable to move. This human was trying to get him out? Maybe it was a trap. Maybe if he took his chance, they would punish him more. Maybe Alice had already been sent to the foster system, maybe they were just going to destroy him-

“Come on!” Hank said, raising his eyebrows. “We don’t have forever.”

Connor started to shed Todd’s clothes from his body. He didn’t have any other choice. He was getting a chance to see Alice again- he was going to take it. He quickly put on the officer’s uniform- thankfully their bodies were the same mold. He secured the hat over his hair, tucking his bangs under the brim. He watched again as the human walked up to his cell and unlocked it again.

Connor saw Alice following Hank, her small hands fidgeting with her fox’s ears like she always did when she was nervous. Connor smiled at her, and she instantly ran up to him. He pulled her close, kissing her forehead. He looked back to the human, who was looking around nervously.

“What’s the plan?” He asked, holding Alice’s hand in his.

“My car’s out in the parking lot.” Hank said, nodding toward the far wall where Connor assumed the parking lot was. “We just need to find the security feed. I don’t know how to do all that fancy hacking.”

Connor nodded once. “Leave it to me.” Connor knelt down next to Alice. “I need you to go with Lieutenant Anderson, alright?”

Alice glanced up at the larger human nervously. “He scares me.”

Connor’s brow furrowed. Unfortunately, he could see how much the Lieutenant resembled Todd, if only a little older and with grey hair. “I know, Alice, but he’s helping us. We have to trust him.” He stood, running his thumb over Alice’s small knuckles. “Where is the security program located?”

Hank pointed toward an office next to the break room. “In there. Keep your head down.”

Connor passed Alice’s hand to Hank’s, who looked guilty when Alice flinched. Connor took a long breath, cooling down his systems. He hated leaving Alice alone, especially with a stranger, but he had to. He needed to work fast before someone noticed the AX400 in the back cell was missing.

He slowly walked over to the security office, keeping his eyes trained on the glossy floor beneath him. He couldn’t look like he was panicking, even if he felt it. He closed and locked the door behind him, the skin of his hand peeling back as he made his way to the computer. He interfaced with the terminal, finding the clips of Hank releasing him and Alice and cutting them. He replaced the missing footage with a looped feed of the hour previous, hoping the humans would be too lazy to notice. Maybe not enough for Markus, but hopefully him and Alice would be long gone before the RK200 unit noticed.

Connor kept his eyes securely back on the floor as he left the station, avoiding the eyes of the ST300 models working the front desk. He scanned quickly for Alice- she was in the backseat of a car around the corner. He jogged over to see a manual car in the parking lot, and the Lieutenant leaning against the side. As soon as he saw Connor the detective entered the car door, nodding to the passenger seat for Connor. Connor quickly shut the door behind him and the engine growled to a start. Soon, they were on the road, the police station behind them and freedom ahead.

* * *

Hank Anderson’s house was small, but cozy. It wasn’t as messy as Connor was expecting. Despite his appearance, the detective kept his home semi-clean, with pictures on the walls and a stocked kitchen.

Alice squealed with delight when she saw the large St. Bernard sleeping in the hallway. She hugged the dog with her whole body, and the dog seemed happy at the affection, his tail thumping against the wood floor.

Hank was silent for the drive and as Alice settled down for bed, taking a small child’s bed in a locked room near the back of the house. It looked like it hadn’t been occupied for a long time; a thick layer of dust covered the room.

Connor had opened up the window, the dewy smell of fresh rain wafting in as the dust blew out. Alice snuggled down into the blankets, holding Benji tight against her chest.

“Goodnight Alice.” Connor said, kissing her forehead gently.

“Night, daddy.” She smiled, and turned over to sleep. It felt like Connor’s systems had stopped working. He blinked away the tears welling in his eyes as he categorized the memory under “Family”. He was Alice’s daddy, as long as she wanted him to be. He closed the bedroom door quietly behind him, and scanned he room to find their savior drinking on the couch.

“Thank you.” Connor started, and hesitantly sat down next to the human. Hank just grunted in response, taking a long drink of a beer. Connor looked around the room apprehensively; there was a record player with a collection of vinyls next to the T.V., and the dog, whose name was Sumo, sat on the other side in a large, fluffy bed.

“Why...” Connor started, tucking his legs underneath himself. The Lieutenant had provided him with even more clothes- a large sweatshirt and flannel pajamas. “Why are you helping us?”

Hank sighed, and set the bottle on the coffee table in front of him. He seemed to be thinking about what he was going to say. “Because...I saw you and that girl, and I knew. I knew you were alive.”

Connor looked back to the room where Alice was sleeping, and then back to Hank. He continued, “I had a son. His name was Cole...” Hank cleared his throat, his eyes foggy and distant. “Anyways...When you were talking about her dad hitting her and you wanting to protect her-“ Hank’s eyes met his once again. “I understood that. And I didn’t think it would be so bad if androids were alive if it meant they protect those who need it.”

Connor smiled at him gratefully. “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

Hank shook his head. “Please. Call me Hank.”

“Hank,” Connor corrected. Connor’s eyes drifted back to the basketball game on the T.V.

“So what now?” Hank asked. “For you two?”  

Connor thought for a moment, squeezing his knees a little tighter to his chest. “Alice needs somewhere safe, but most places won’t let me go with her. I have some money for food and such, but not much.” He looked back up to Hank.

“Well, I’d offer my place, but with Markus as my partner it’s probably not safe.” Hank said. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright.” Connor said. “You’ve already done so much.” Connor looked back toward the room where Alice was sleeping. “I’ll keep her safe.”

“I know you will.” Hank said, with a look in his eyes Connor couldn’t place. Connor let himself go into stasis, his thoughts drifting to his daughter, and the sanctuary that he hoped would protect them. _Jericho_.

* * *

Markus blinked, his LED spinning violently. “Quit?”

“Yes,” Captain Fowler sighed. “Lieutenant Anderson resigned this morning. Turned in his badge and gun.”

Markus tried his best to keep himself from gawking. Hank was troubled, but _quitting_? “Did he give any reason?”

“It’s not my business to ask.” Captain Fowler said. “Hank has his reasons, and I don’t have time. Hell, the AX400 escaped the fucking station, for Christ’s sake.” The Captain stood, and nodded toward the desks outside of his clear office walls. “Officer Leo Manfred will be your partner now.”

Markus quickly found the young officer among his coworkers, laughing about something. Markus scanned him; he had several instances in his record over excessive use of force and disorderly conduct. _Great._

 

**Author's Note:**

> You can check me out on tumblr @rkonethousand
> 
> Please leave a comment!


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